Keyboard positioning control



Feb. 8, 1955 A. E. MURRAY KEYBOARD POSITIONING CONTROL 2 Sheefis-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 10 1950 N Juan 5- Mum INVENTOR ATTORNE Feb. 8, 1955 Filed Nov. 10, 1950 A. E. MURRAY KEYBOARD POSITIONING CONTROL 3 a O W5 I "v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Alan E. JVIurray ATTORNEY? M United States Patent KEYBOARD POSITIONING CONTROL Alan'E. Murray, New York,iN.'Y.

Application November .10, 1950, Serial No. 194,950

2 Claims. 1C1. 84-231) My invention relates to around for pianos, so as to locate the player in a correct position for more effective performance on the piano or in the OPEZI'atIOILOf 'the keyboard and pedals of any other instrument or mechamsm.

An object of my invention is to provide a control for correctly positioning the operator of a keyboard and pedals so that the position of. theperformer or operator will not only be more definitely determined, bu'tloc-a'ted in the correct position so as to free'the hands and fix the position of the toes for more effective operation of the instrument at all times. Another object is to, in elfect, make the instrument apart of the body of the operatorby enabling the operator to sense and'feelthe instrument, the controls thereof and its vibrations while being operated so as to control its operation or playing more effectively.

Hitherto, in the operation of pianos andiother instruments provided with a'keyboard and one=or more;.pedals, it has been customary for the operator, whileseated for example, to rest his heels in asubstantia'lly fixed position, usually on the floor, while the-toes operatethepedal or other lever for the control of the instrument and the keyboard is being operated by the fingers. Thishas resulted in an ineffective coordination or cooperation between the operator and the instrument'because when the heels are supported on the fixed support and the toes moved into various different positions the operator loses the sense or feelof accurate positioning'with regard to the instrument. Besides, as a result, .therehas been =a-lack of sensitivity of the body to the vibrations of the instrument, as for example a piano, with -resultant lack of.coordination in the operation thereof. Furthermore, the location in that manner, determined by having the heels in a more or less fixed position While both'hands land toes are being moved continually, producesin the performer a lack of confidence as to the position of Lthe entire-body, with a resultant lack of sensitivity or feel with regard to the operation of the instrument.

in accordance with my invention, the player or operator of the instrument, as for instance a piano, in the operation thereof acquires a most sensitive and accurate realization of his position with regard to the instrument, as the positioning is determined and ascertained at all times from the approximately fixed position of the sensitive toes, thus enabling the fingers to be placed instinctively with accuracy at all times on the keyboard while the movement of the heels is utilized to control the pedals. This more accurate and correct position of the body and fingers frees the operator or player of the instrument more completely for the reading of the score from which the piano or other instrument is being played or operated. This, accordingly, eliminates the well known disadvantage in the playing of the piano as a musical instrument, arising from the lack of the intimate coordination with the body, which is found to be present in other types of musical instruments, for instance those held in the hands or against the body while being played. The applicant overcomes this difiiculty and enables the body to perceive completely the vibrational effects produced in the operation thereof. Also, in this way the operator can be said, literally, to be on his toes during the performance and operation and, in fact, the exercise and coordinate emotional effect in operating the instrument are far more satisfying and effective. In practice, the operator does not have to watch the keyboard while in operation. Besides, when so arranged the piano really becomes the best musical instrument for symmetrical exercise of the body and solves the problem of sitting upright when operating'the keyboard of'the piano or other instrument, and, accordingly, it may even besaid that the result has a medicinal effect. 111 this way, music of a higher quality may be more readily and quicklyattained, as the body and mind are both effectively freed from the mechanical problem'of operating the instrument with the toes and fingers of the two hands, which previouslyabsorbed the attention.

While my invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms, for the purpose of illustration .1 have described the same hereinafter, for example, in connection with the operation of a piano, and have shown only one form thereof by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of apiano showing diagrammatically the control in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, partly in plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section.

In the drawings Ihave shown the usual bench .or stool 1 for'the operation of, or playing, a piano 20f any desired type but, for instance, of the upright'type, in which there is a wooden enclosure or casing 3, having a hinged top 4, equipped with the usual set of graduated strings 5, mounted on a frame and sounding-board 6 supported by the casing 3, having a successionof hammers (not shown) operated by any desired action or mechanism, such as shown, for instance, in 'Websters Newlnternational Dictionary, page 1854, 2nd ed., 1946, God: C. Merriam Co, Springfield, Mass, or the Encyclopedia Britannica, from the usual keyboard '7, comprising 52 white keys 8 for the Whole notes and 36 black keys '9 forthe half notes. The keyboard .7 rests atthe front thereof ontwo pedestals 10 which have casters 1 1 resting'on the floor while the casing 3 has casters '12 also resting on the floor. The bottom of the casing3is closed by a wooden panel or board 13 which is spaced from the floor by the casters 12. ln-the casing .3 l have-provided the usual two pedals 14 and 15 which project through the front of the-casing in the usual manner. The left pedal 14, which is the soft pedal, is, as usual, arranged to shift the initial position of the hammers towards the stringsS to decrease; in the usual Way, the loudness, while the damper pedal 15 is constructedinthe usual manner to operatea damper in the usual way for increasing the loudness .or vibratory effect of the strings 5. The soft pedal 14-is in the form of ahorizontal bar carried by a-pivot rod 16 within the piano casing 3 on the bottom panel 13 and is connected by an adjusting screw :17 to alongitudinal bar 18, supported upon a steel spring hinge 19 from a block on the bottom panel 13. The bar 18 carries :a socket 26 to receive a thrust rod 21 which leads to the usual hammer action (not shown). The right-hand pedal 15 is similarly arranged in the form of a transverse rod leading to the pivot rod 16 and is connected by an adjusting screw 22 to a longitudinal bar 23 on a spring hinge 24-, like the spring hinge 19, and having a thrust rod 25 leading upwardly to the movable damper for dampening the vibrations of the strings 5.

Attached to the two pedals 14 and 15, respectively, there are heel plates 26 and 27 which are connected to their respective pedals by clamps 28 and 29 having clamping screws 30 and 31 therein. These plates 26 and 27 rest, respectively, on rubber cushions 32 and 33 located on the floor and which support the heel plates 26 and 27 by sensitive helical springs 34 and 35. The apparatus provided for operating the heel plates 26 and 27 is constructed in the same way for both said plates but in reverse, and being the same in construction, only one thereof will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 2, the left foot or shoe 36 of the operator or player of the instrument is placed with the heel 37 thereof over the outer end of the heel plate 26 so that the toes of the foot bear upon a five-sided board or toe platform 38, an outer edge of which is supported from the floor by a small rubber knob 39 while the inner portion of said board 38 is fastened by four screws 40 beneath the panel 13 of the piano or to any other part thereof. Thereon an outer rectangular toe platform 41, for supporting the toes of the foot 36,

extends to the front beyond the front of the pedals. There may be provided, also, if desired, although this is optional, over the top of the toe platform 41, a toe-retaining plate 42 spaced above the platform 41, in any desired adjustable position by means of adjusting screws 43 and 44, thus providing a space 45 which more or less accurately fits over the foot or shoe 36 of the operator or player.

In the operation of my invention, when the performer or player of the piano is seated on the bench or stool 1, the toes of the feet are placed on the two toe platforms 41, respectively, so that the heel 37 of each foot or shoe rests over the particular heel plate 26 or 27. If the toeretaining plates 42 are present, the toes will be placed beneath the same, as shown in Fig. 2, the screws 42 and 43 being adjusted to fit the particular foot. In this Way the performer orients himself effectively and in a very sensitive position, so that in operating the keyboard '7 he can locate his fingers at all times with regard to the keys 8 and 9 with the utmost certainty, thus freeing his mind for the observation of the score of the music, for example, without having to look at the keyboard 7 while playing. Thus, the playing of the piano is accomplished while the heels 37 are free to move the pedals by the heel plates 26 and 27 without changing the sensitive fixed locus of the performer established by the fixed position 4 of the toes on the toe platforms 41. It will be noted that during the playing of the piano and the operation of the pedals 14 and 15 the toes also have a relative movement with regard to the foot, as the rear portion of the foot is being moved up and down to control the pedals While the position of the toes remains substantially fixed on the toe platform 41. In this way, the piano or other instrument can be more eflfectively operated and with greater skill, and the process of learning the piano can be much more effectively and expeditiously accomplished, accordingly. This is because the location of the performer with regard to the instrument is fixed by the relation between the most sensitive parts of the extremities, that is to say the toes and the fingers, the relative position of which is at all times determined with reference to the fixed position of the toes. Also, because of the intimate contact and coordination between the body of the performer and the piano or other instrument and as the heels do not rest on the floor, the vibrations produced in the operation thereof are more effectively and clearly sensed or felt at all times so that the playing of the piano or other instrument becomes practically instinctive. There is, consequently, a greatly enhanced sense of enjoyment as well as an improvement in the quality of the music produced. This is of the utmost importance because the playing of a particular composition satisfactorily can only be accomplished in an artistic way by adding quality which is over and above the mere technique of playing the score of the composition. In other words, the expression required for producing real music is, thus, far more readily attainable, by making the mere technique more readily capable of accomplishment. Furthermore, the well known disadvantage ordinarily experienced in playing the piano, that is to say the lack of intimate contact between the instrument and the body of the performer, is largely eliminated. With pianos as previously constructed the locus for establishing the position of the fingers was derived mainly from the insensitive heels of the player,-whereas, in accordance with my invention the locus for the fingers on the keyboard is established by the toes which, together with the fingers, provide a far more definitely and accurately sensed locus at all times, as compared with the previous locus attained from the fixed position of the heels with the continual movement of the toes tending to upset the point of reference from which the location of the fingers on the keyboard was determined. In this way the relation in space between the instrument and the body of the performer, as determined by the toes and fingers, becomes much more definite.

While I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the same.

I claim:

1. In combination, a piano lever for operating a piano, having a pedal provided with a heel plate affixed to said piano lever and constructed for operation by a heel of the performers foot, and a substantially fixed toe support for the toes of the said performers foot during the heeloperation of the pedal, said pedal having an extension clamped thereto, with a spring support under said extension, to form the said heel plate.

1 2. In combination, a piano lever for operating a piano, having a pedal provided with a heel plate aifixed to said piano lever and constructed for operation by a heel of the performers foot, and a substantially fixed toe support located at one side laterally of the pedal for the toes of the said performers foot during the heel-operation of the pedal, said pedal having an extension clamped thereto, with a spring support under said extension, to form the said heel plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 174,718 Cheesman Mar. 14, 1876 197,370 Holder Nov. 20, 1877 656,625 Bohrer et a1 Aug. 28, 1900 746,101 Kind Dec. 8, 1903 800,509 Stanton Sept. 26, 1905 924,302 Anderson June 8, 1909 1,269,717 Kirk June 18, 1918 1,526,999 Mizner et al. Feb. 17, 1925 

